Pickleball Rules: Serve, Two-Bounce Rule, Kitchen and Faults

The rules of pickleball fit on a single page, but the fine print sparks arguments on every court. In this guide we go over the rules that really matter when you play: what makes a legal serve, the two-bounce rule, the kitchen (non-volley zone), what counts as a fault, how to make line calls and what changes between singles and doubles. Everything here follows the official USA Pickleball rulebook, which is also the international reference.

The serve

The serve puts the ball in play, and it's where beginners commit the most faults. Here are the rules:

• Position: at contact, at least one foot must be behind the baseline and neither foot may touch the baseline or the court. You must also stand between the imaginary extensions of the centerline and the sideline on your side.
• Crosscourt: the ball must land in the diagonally opposite service court.
• Clear the kitchen: a serve that lands in the kitchen or on the kitchen line is a fault. The centerline, sideline and baseline are all in.
• One attempt: there's no second serve like in tennis.
• No lets: since 2021, a serve that clips the net and lands in the correct service court stays in play. If it touches the net and lands out or in the kitchen, it's a fault.
• Call the score: the server must call the score before serving.

There are two legal ways to serve, each with its own requirements:

Requirement	Volley serve (the classic)	Drop serve
How you hit it	Out of the air, before it touches the ground	Drop the ball, let it bounce, then hit it
Swing	Upward arc	Any stroke you like
Contact height	Below the waist (navel)	No restriction
Paddle head	Can't be above the wrist at contact	No restriction
Releasing the ball	Any way	Must simply drop it, not toss or push it

The drop serve is great for beginners and for anyone unsure whether their volley serve is legal. Technique and serve types are covered in how to serve in pickleball.

The two-bounce rule

This is the rule that sets pickleball apart. After the serve, the ball must bounce once on the receiving side and, after the return, once more on the serving side. In other words, the return and the third shot must always be played off the bounce. From the fourth shot on, you can volley or let it bounce, whichever you prefer.

The point of the rule is to take away the serving team's advantage. Without it, the server would rush the net and volley the return. With it, the serving team has to stay back for the third shot, which is why so many players use that shot to drop a soft ball into the opponents' kitchen (the famous "third-shot drop") and buy time to move up.

The kitchen (non-volley zone)

The kitchen is the 7 ft (2.13 m) strip on each side of the net. Here's how it works:

• You can't volley (hit the ball out of the air) while touching the kitchen or the kitchen line.
• You also can't let your momentum carry you into the kitchen after a volley, even if the ball is already dead. You have to regain your balance outside.
• If your paddle, hat or anything you're wearing or carrying lands in the kitchen during a volley, that's a fault too.
• You can step into the kitchen any time and stay there; the only thing you can't do inside is volley. If the ball bounces in the kitchen, go in and play it.

The tricky cases (jumping around the corner, a partner holding you back, when you can re-enter) are in our guide to the kitchen rule.

Faults

Any fault ends the rally. If the serving team faults, it loses the serve (or play passes to the second server); if the receiving team faults, the serving team wins a point. The most common faults:

• The ball lands out or fails to clear the net.
• A serve that lands in the kitchen, on the kitchen line or in the wrong service court.
• Volleying the return or the third shot (breaking the two-bounce rule).
• Volleying from the kitchen or stepping into it on a volley's momentum.
• Letting the ball bounce twice on your side.
• The ball hitting you, your clothing or your partner (except your paddle hand below the wrist, which counts as part of the paddle).
• Touching the net or net posts with your body, paddle or clothing while the ball is in play.
• Hitting the ball before it has crossed the net to your side.
• Deliberately hitting the ball twice (an accidental double hit during one continuous stroke is legal).
• The wrong player serving, or serving from the wrong side.

How line calls work

In recreational play there's no referee, so each team calls the lines on its own side. The basics:

• A ball that touches any part of a line is in, except the kitchen line on the serve.
• Only call a ball out if you clearly see space between the ball and the line. If in doubt, it's in.
• Make the call promptly and loudly, or with a clear signal (index finger pointing up).
• A ball isn't out until it bounces: if you hit it or it hits you in the air, it's still in play or it's your fault, even if it was going long.
• In doubles, if you and your partner disagree, the ball is in.

Singles vs doubles: what changes

The rules are nearly identical and the court is the same size in both: unlike tennis, singles uses the full width. What changes is the serving order and the score call:

Aspect	Doubles	Singles
Court	20 × 44 ft (6.10 × 13.41 m)	20 × 44 ft (same)
Servers per turn	Two (except the first turn of the game)	One
Score call	Three numbers (e.g. 4-2-1)	Two numbers (e.g. 4-2)
Serving side	Server switches sides with partner after each point won	Right side on an even score, left on odd
Style of play	Lots of kitchen play and dinking	More running, passing shots and deep serves

Scoring in a nutshell

Under traditional scoring, only the serving team can score. Games go to 11, win by 2 (tournaments also use 15 or 21). In doubles you call three numbers: the serving team's score, the receiving team's score and the server number. Games start at "0-0-2" because the first team to serve only gets one server on its opening turn. For the full picture, with a rally-by-rally example, read how to keep score in pickleball.

Common rule mistakes and myths

• "You can't go in the kitchen": false. You can stand in it as long as you don't volley.
• "A serve that hits the net is replayed": not anymore. Since 2021 it stays in play if it lands in the right service court.
• "If the ball hits my hand, it's a fault": not if it's your paddle hand, below the wrist.
• "I can call it out before it bounces": no. If you touch it in the air, it's yours.
• "The court is narrower for singles": no, it's the same court.

You don't need an official court to practice these rules: with a portable pickleball net and lines laid out to the official court dimensions, any smooth surface will do.

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